crowbar08

brandonit

I bought it. With the lifetime subscription it makes sense. (I know the screen keeps changing each time I refresh - one says the unit, one says with Lifetime subscription - I clicked on the one with Lifetime subscription)

They will release a SimpleTV 2 later this year with dual tuners but I think I'll be fine with just one. I only record off antenna anyway.

Don't forget you have to provide your own storage for this, any size USB 2.0 hard drive will work.

miken927

I don't understand why it doesn't have an HDMI out. I have a Sharp Aquos 'smart tv' but I don't see how I could feed video from this over wi-fi. My tv has Vudu, Netflix, etc, but no way to add apps that I know of. It supports DLNA, maybe that's how it would work?

patnugent

wrecks13 wrote:Beware! files are recorded on the external hard drive in a proprietary format (JFS) and can't be played by themselves on a PC.

There is a reason they're in a proprietary format, we're recording each show in 3 different qualities at the same time so when you're streaming remotely the quality is adjusted on-the-fly (think adaptive bitrate) and streamed via HLS (http live streaming).

That said, before the end of the year (with new app releases) you'll be able to download straight h.264 versions of the files from your Simple.TV to your browser or directly onto iOS and Android tablets.

brandonit

Pat, does that mean this hardware version will be able to support the Android update? That's all I'm interested in is Android compatibility - kinda taking a gamble here.

patnugent wrote:There is a reason they're in a proprietary format, we're recording each show in 3 different qualities at the same time so when you're streaming remotely the quality is adjusted on-the-fly (think adaptive bitrate) and streamed via HLS (http live streaming).

That said, before the end of the year (with new app releases) you'll be able to download straight h.264 versions of the files from your Simple.TV to your browser or directly onto iOS and Android tablets.

murphyt1

This is I'm sure a stupid question, but in the description it mentions being able to record shows via antenna instead of cable. Is this item also able to take the place of a converter box if one has an ancient but still functioning TV? I would love to ditch cable but can't bring myself to buy a converter box.

patnugent

brandonit wrote:Pat, does that mean this hardware version will be able to support the Android update? That's all I'm interested in is Android compatibility - kinda taking a gamble here.

Yes. Client apps and features are compatible with all hardware releases currently planned. Same website, same apps. And the lifetime subscription with this unit will also work with future hardware revs (when and if launched ). The lifetime subscription on it's own is usually $150.

patnugent

murphyt1 wrote:This is I'm sure a stupid question, but in the description it mentions being able to record shows via antenna instead of cable. Is this item also able to take the place of a converter box if one has an ancient but still functioning TV? I would love to ditch cable but can't bring myself to buy a converter box.

It doesn't take the place of a convertor box.

It's a DVR that connects to everything EXCEPT the TV. The best experience, since cable companies seem to slowly be encrypting their channels (no more ClearQAM) are users with an over-the-air antenna or who want to cut off their cable TV and pick up their major broadcast networks with an antenna (like a Mohu Leaf). I still use it with Comcast, but YMMV since they're rolling out encryption area by area.

If you want to replace a convertor box - nope. If you want to cut the cord and go free over the air TV - yes.

You can watch TV on your television now through a Roku box if you have one, or obviously as mentioned browser/iPad/iPhone and we'll be launching other support later this year including Chromecast, "push to" devices such as XBox, etc, etc.

patnugent

bennyboy783 wrote:So just to clarify.. you don't get free TV stations with it.. you have to use your own tv subscription? It's pretty much like a slingbox?

Correct - you need to provide your unencrypted cable TV or an over-the-air-antenna. (like a Mohu Leaf) Except that unlike sling your physical television is untouched, you can record shows, schedule season recordings, and have up to 5 users watch live and recorded TV (a single live channel watched by one person, 4 different recorded shows watched by others at the same time)

bennyboy783

patnugent wrote:Correct - you need to provide your unencrypted cable TV or an over-the-air-antenna. (like a Mohu Leaf) Except that unlike sling your physical television is untouched, you can record shows, schedule season recordings, and have up to 5 users watch live and recorded TV (a single live channel watched by one person, 4 different recorded shows watched by others at the same time)

brandonit

patnugent wrote:It's a DVR that connects to everything EXCEPT the TV. The best experience, since cable companies seem to slowly be encrypting their channels (no more ClearQAM) are users with an over-the-air antenna or who want to cut off their cable TV and pick up their major broadcast networks with an antenna (like a Mohu Leaf).

That's what I did recently. Cut off U-Verse TV which I didn't watch and subscribed to Netflix & Hulu. Saved myself almost $100 a month and now with this Lifetime subscription and an attic antenna, I'm set for just about everything.

patnugent

bennyboy783 wrote:So if I just use an Antenna I get just the (maybe 6 channels)that I get with my antenna but I can push those 6 channels out to my mobile devices and etc?? Is that how it works?

Mobile devices, web browser, Roku connected to a TV (and other devices later this year - we showed off Chromecast and Google Glass playback at the electronics show in Germany).

If you're worried that you'd only pick up 6 channels, punch in your zip code on http://www.gomohu.com/. You can use any antenna obviously, but they show you what you'd pick up with a cheapy unpowered antenna vs a powered antenna. Make sure to click on the second tab. I only pick up 4 or 5 "good" channels with a basic antenna, but using a powered or amplified model I jump from 17 channels total to 68 channels total (including all the major networks).

bennyboy783

brandonit wrote:That's what I did recently. Cut off U-Verse TV which I didn't watch and subscribed to Netflix & Hulu. Saved myself almost $100 a month and now with this Lifetime subscription and an attic antenna, I'm set for just about everything.

Yeah but I'm confused.. if you cut off uverse you loose your channels like ESPN and what not? An antenna is not going to give you anymore then 10 basic channels?

BuffBillsFan

jaferson wrote:Where do you see how many have been purchased? I only see %'s...

Go to the Sales Stats tab on the product page (click on the pic on the main Woot page to get there). Then it is a guess based on the percentages sold at the various levels. When I made that guess, all were proper for 16 sales (basically multiples of 6%). 6% (1 buyer) had bought 2, and 6% 3, giving 19 sold.

There are sites that do this with a whole lot more sophistication than I did (probably more accuracy, too) - but with a relatively small number of sales a SWAG is usually close enough.

jaferson

BuffBillsFan wrote:Go to the Sales Stats tab on the product page (click on the pic on the main Woot page to get there). Then it is a guess based on the percentages sold at the various levels. When I made that guess, all were proper for 16 sales (basically multiples of 6%). 6% (1 buyer) had bought 2, and 6% 3, giving 19 sold.

There are sites that do this with a whole lot more sophistication than I did (probably more accuracy, too) - but with a relatively small number of sales a SWAG is usually close enough.

edchang00

I bought one last time around. Works pretty well on the ipad but definitely having problems with the Roku app. Won't load at times, crashes and causes Roku to reset. I actually have an Apple TV so I can mirror to it but would be nice to have the Roku app working properly...

patnugent

bennyboy783 wrote:Yeah but I'm confused.. if you cut off uverse you loose your channels like ESPN and what not? An antenna is not going to give you anymore then 10 basic channels?

While YMMV depending on region, you're going to get more than 10 channels with a powered antenna. And I only keep mentioning this brand because I have one connected, but I pick up >60 channels with a powered Mohu Leaf that I think I paid $70 for. Search your zipcode on a the Mohu site or sites like Antenna web, it's really changed and with a $50-$80 antenna you can get your major network channels in HD. ESPN is premium cable only of course.

bennyboy783

patnugent wrote:Mobile devices, web browser, Roku connected to a TV (and other devices later this year - we showed off Chromecast and Google Glass playback at the electronics show in Germany).

If you're worried that you'd only pick up 6 channels, punch in your zip code on http://www.gomohu.com/. You can use any antenna obviously, but they show you what you'd pick up with a cheapy unpowered antenna vs a powered antenna. Make sure to click on the second tab. I only pick up 4 or 5 "good" channels with a basic antenna, but using a powered or amplified model I jump from 17 channels total to 68 channels total (including all the major networks).

patnugent

edchang00 wrote:I bought one last time around. Works pretty well on the ipad but definitely having problems with the Roku app. Won't load at times, crashes and causes Roku to reset. I actually have an Apple TV so I can mirror to it but would be nice to have the Roku app working properly...

We submitted an updated Roku app to the channel store this morning that resolves this. The issue was caused by the amount of data we were storing in memory and was mostly visible on the Roku 2, it was much harder to recreate that at all on the Roku 3 model. That said, I'm hoping Roku's approval process goes smoothly and you should be crash-free in the next few days.

karatejen

I have a TV connect to a Mohu. We cut the cable a few years ago. We also have a Sony Media Player connected to the TV. So we watch over the air or Netflix/HuluPlus/Crackle etc through the streaming media player (over wifi).

1- To record over the air shows with this device, it is going to need it's own antennae, right?
2- And then to watch those shows on my TV, I'd need a Roku, right?
3- And I have to hard wire this device into my network, correct?

I don't want to buy another antennae and definitely not a new streaming media player to replace the perfectly fine one I have.

aarland

patnugent wrote:There is a reason they're in a proprietary format, we're recording each show in 3 different qualities at the same time so when you're streaming remotely the quality is adjusted on-the-fly (think adaptive bitrate) and streamed via HLS (http live streaming).

That said, before the end of the year (with new app releases) you'll be able to download straight h.264 versions of the files from your Simple.TV to your browser or directly onto iOS and Android tablets.

patnugent

karatejen wrote:1- To record over the air shows with this device, it is going to need it's own antennae, right?
2- And then to watch those shows on my TV, I'd need a Roku, right?
3- And I have to hard wire this device into my network, correct?

1 - Yes (or a splitter, for testing I have 10 Simple.TV boxes at home connected to a powered Mohu Leaf with splitters)
2- Yes
3- Yes

patnugent

aarland wrote:Can you record basic cable shows on channels like ESPN or History?

The channels that are on basic cable are usually duplicated with free over-the-air broadcasts. Channels like ESPN or History are (at least in my case on Comcast) described as extended basic cable, and are cable-only channels.

modi123

Can't there just be a DVR that functions like a VCR sans the tape? I don't need complex channels, apps, internet connectivity, etc.. just a darn harddrive and something to record a show at a given time. *sigh* Technology's great. Pfffsst.

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